In a wind turbine system, the wind turbine converts kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy to be supplied for use within a power grid. An example of a conventional wind turbine system is shown in FIG. 1. The system of FIG. 1 includes a wind turbine 2 with a tower 4, for supporting a nacelle 6 including various components for operating the system. Some of the components include a drive train 8 for driving the wind turbine 2.
A hub 9 has a plurality of rotatable blades 10 that form a rotor at an end of the drive train 8. The blades 10 rotate to drive a gearbox 12 connected to an electrical generator 14 and a control system 16. The control system 16 receives input from an anemometer (i.e., wind-speed monitor) 18 that measures wind speed and direction. A plurality of cables 20 extend from the electrical generator 14 to provide power to the grid.
The control system 16 provides control signals for operation of the wind turbine 2. A yaw drive 24 and yaw deck 26 provide yaw orientation for the wind turbine 2. The yaw orientation is controlled by the control system 16, based on information received from the anemometer 18.
A conventional method for cabling in wind turbine systems involves hanging cables in a free-hanging loop for a suitable distance and then attaching the cables to the sidewall of the tower 4 in a ribbon-type arrangement. The free-hanging loop allows for twisting of the cables as a result of the operation of the yaw drive 24. This method, however, can cause overtwisting and overcrowding of the cables 20 within the tower 4. This overtwisting and overcrowding results in overheating and abrasion of the cables leading to failure of the components within the nacelle 6. This failure creates interference in the supply of power through the tower and to the power grid.